Arsenal: 4 negatives of hard fought Burnley win

Two wins on the bounce and another clean sheet. While 1-0 at home against Norwich is not a resounding result, that same scoreline would surely have been taken ahead of Arsenal travelling to Burnley.

At Turf Moor this is always a tight encounter despite the home side’s poor record against the Gunners, with Saturday’s meeting being no different. One kick of Martin Odegaard’s left foot turned out to be the deciding factor.

The road ahead will be a bumpy one. Even in the last two outings it’s not been smooth sailing.

Mikel Arteta will see this as a new dawn for Arsenal Football Club and his job is to get the fans on board with what it is he’s trying to build. Fielding a starting lineup with an average age of 24 and having all six of his summer signings on the pitch at the end, showing character and dedication along the way, is one way of doing that.

4 negatives as Arsenal battle hard to win 1-0 over Burnley in the Premier League as Mikel Arteta’s side secure back-to-back victories

So too are victories which, let’s be honest, are the most important of all.

But the performances need to show signs of improvement and while there were clear positives to take from leaving a tricky ground with three Premier League points, not everything on show in Lancashire was as neat and tidy as the manager would have liked.

With a few days’ rest before a very different looking side will take to the Emirates pitch in the EFL Cup meeting with AFC Wimbledon before Tottenham make the short journey south for a crunch derby, there were a few elements of the 1-0 win that weren’t quite as comforting.

1. Stupid Decision Making in the Final Third

Fingers can be pointed at individuals, and there were a few very guilty of baffling decisions, but collectively on Saturday there was something lacking in the final third that prevented Arsenal from putting the game out of sight and easing the tension in the ground.

The ball managed to get its way into dangerous positions with Odegaard pulling the strings in midfield and finding the right first time passes into space, only for the final ball, final shot or final choice of pass to leave plenty to be desired.

In terms of the build up and the runs, the play wasn’t the dreadful, staggered and laborious style usually seen and instead came down to the minute details.

Pepe was guilty of lacking conviction in his passes as were others, with there being a repeat number of times where the final ball was a yard behind the man making a run. They were passes that if nailed would have been fine goalscoring chances.

An off day? Likely, but it’s also worth noting that Burnley leave their grass long and dry on purpose. Ben White was a victim of it (doesn’t exempt him from blame) for the backpass to Aaron Ramsdale and it can be attributed to the host of misplaced balls in the final third.

Overall the forwards were lacking that touch of composure.

Continued…

2. Ben White Struggles at His Strength

Much of the pre-match talk was dominated by White’s impending aerial battle with Chris Wood, as the main weakness in his game was certain to be targetted by Burnley as they persist with their usual long ball style.

In the end he dealt with that challenge admirably.

Winning four of his five aerial duels and recording the most headed clearances of any Arsenal player (4), the task set before him was one he gobbled up and spat out.

Which is why it was interesting to see him struggle with the side of his game that he is most comfortable at. With the ball on the ground, White did not have a great afternoon.

His horror backpass to Ramsdale was fortunately recovered well by the goalkeeper but elsewhere across the game he had moments of odd decision-making with instances that appeared to lack focus.

Given the reasons he was signed weren’t on show at all at Turf Moor then it can be put down as an anomaly. Perhaps it was a case of him overexerting himself in certain aspects that he lost some form of mental balance in how he was going to play. Who knows. Mental balance might not even be a thing.

That level of sloppiness he showed won’t go unpunished again. He can count himself lucky on this occasion, one which history suggests should be a one off.

Continued…

3. Emile Smith Rowe & Bukayo Saka’s Off Days

Praise them when they’re brilliant and be honest when they’re not. Neither Emile Smith Rowe nor Bukayo Saka had performances they would travel home from and feel especially chuffed over.

For Smith Rowe, the demands of the diamond midfield system appeared too unfamiliar for him. Positionally unaware, there was a lack of conviction in how he asserted himself on the game: passes inaccurate and dribbles lacking the usual drive.

Did the pitch play a part? It will have played some part, sure.

Saka is slightly different as this is another performance without its usual spark, continuing a trend this season. Is there a Euros hangover? There will be something of the sort, undoubtedly.

None of which even comes close to venturing towards resting/dropping territory. These two are both young men in the very early stages of their careers and dips in performance level and form are inevitable. They need the support of those around them.

What is positive is that both of the Hale Ender had off days at the same time, not to the detriment of the result. Arsenal still won and have Saka’s turn and run to thank for winning the free-kick that Odegaard converted.

In less physically demanding outings on more forgiving pitches they’ll be back to their respective bests.

Continued…

4. Arsenal Need Thomas Partey – Maybe Too Much

Arsenal’s midfield metronome.

Back from injury and deemed fit enough to not only start but anchor a midfield all by himself, the performance of Thomas Partey is one of the most encouraging aspects of the entire match. Sitting at the base of what was effectively a diamond, it was his job to receive possession from either centre-back and facilitate Arsenal moves from there.

Evading the press of Burnley’s two strikers, he performed this role superbly. His first time line breaking passes, comfort under pressure and weight of delivery were majestic. Watching him be surrounded by three men facing goal and feeding a first time pass out wide instead of into Chris Wood’s midriff was indescribably refreshing.

Playing as the single pivot in this system, or indeed playing in this team full stop, the prospect of having to go a single game without him is terrifying. Partey raises the level drastically and has a transformative impact in how Arsenal transition, defend, and attack.

For someone with his injury record, that’s concerning. There is nobody else in the team who can perform his role to anywhere near that standard. Sambi still has a long way to go in his development and while Arteta may have foolishly tried with Granit Xhaka at Manchester City, that will never work.

The midfield is nothing without Partey. While it can be solid and it can be effective, it can never be anywhere near as dynamic or multi-functional without the Ghanaian. The Ghanasaurus, as he is known as.

That reliance can be detrimental when the inevitable injury strikes. When so much of the play comes through one player the balance is lost and continuity lacking.

Just stay fit then, right? We don’t want to see Partey near any team that isn’t Premier League or FA Cup/EFL Cup semi-final.